Cyclists, Get A Pannier Bag

It transforms your bike into a machine for hauling tons of stuff

When it comes to cycling, I’m not a big gearhead.

I don’t ride an expensive cycle; I have an entry-level one that’s pretty heavy, actually. I don’t wear cycling shoes that clip into the pedals. I don’t have a cycling computer, and I usually don’t wear cycling clothing — I just jump into the saddle wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

But there is one piece of cycling gear that I cannot live without.

My pannier bag.

That’s my model, in the picture above: The 27L bag made by Rockbros. You need to put a rack on the back of your bike first, which is about maybe $40 and you can easily install yourself. Then the pannier bag is about $70. It has spring-loaded clips that let you attach it to your rack — or remove it — in a few seconds.

Reader, it totally transformed my cycling!

Before I had a pannier bag, I would do little bits of shopping on my bike, but it never worked out well.

I’d carry home a bag of stuff dangling off my handle, but it always felt a little dodgy. The pendulous swinging of the bag could sometimes throw my steering off course, which in a city with unforgiving traffic like Brooklyn is risky as heck…